Dear Mr. Henshaw (rpkg) (Avon Camelot Books)

145 Pages·2000·1.9 MB·English

by  Beverly Cleary

BEVERLY CLEARY
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Contents
May12 1
Private Diary of Leigh Botts 39
January 12 55
From the Diary of Leigh Botts 61
February 15 89
From the Diary of Leigh Botts Vol. 2 93
March 31 123
From the Diary of Leigh Botts 125
About the Author
Other Books by Beverly Cleary
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher

May 12
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
My teacher read your book about the dog to
our class. It was funny. We licked it.
Your freind,
Leigh Botts (boy)
1
December 3
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
I am the boy who wrote to you last year when
I was in the second grade. Maybe you didn’t get
my letter. This year I read the book I wrote to you
about called Ways to Amuse a Dog. It is the first
thick book with chapters that I have read.
The boy’s father said city dogs were bored so
Joe could not keep the dog unless he could think
up seven ways to amuse it. I have a black dog.
His name is Bandit. He is a nice dog.
If you answer I get to put your letter on the
bulletin board.
My teacher taught me a trick about friend. The
i goes before e so that at the end it will spell end.
Keep in tutch.
Your friend,
Leigh (L    ) Botts
2
November 13
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
I am in the fourth grade now. I made a diorama
of Ways to Amuse a Dog, the book I wrote to you
about two times before. Now our teacher is
making us write to authors for Book Week. I got
your answer to my letter last year, but it was only
printed. Please would you write to me in your
own handwriting? I am a great enjoyer of your
books.
My favorite character in the book was Joe’s
Dad because he didn’t get mad when Joe amused
his dog by playing a tape of a lady singing, and
his dog sat and howled like he was singing, too.
Bandit does the same thing when he hears
singing.
Your best reader,
Leigh Botts
3
December 2
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
I got to thinking about Ways to Amuse a Dog.
When Joe took his dog to the park and taught him
to slide down the slide, wouldn’t some grownup
come along and say he couldn’t let his dog use
the slide? Around here grownups, who are mostly
real old with cats, get mad if dogs aren’t on
leashes every minute. I hate living in a mobile
home park.
I saw your picture on the back of the book.
When I grow up I want to be a famous book
writer with a beard like you.
I am sending you my picture. It is last year’s
picture. My hair is longer now. With all the mil-
lions of kids in the U. S., how would you know
who I am if I don’t send you my picture?
Your favorite reader,
Leigh Botts
Enclosure: Picture of me.
(We are studying
business letters.)
4
October 2
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
I am in the fifth grade now. You might like to
know that I gave a book report on Ways to Amuse
a Dog. The class liked it. I got an A-. The minus
was because the teacher said I didn’t stand on
both feet.
Sincerely,
Leigh Botts
5